Hinson, Adams Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Support for Future Teachers

Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (R-IA-02) and Congresswoman Alma Adams (D-NC-12) introduced the bipartisan TEACH Improvement Act to modernize the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program, empowering more students to become teachers while ensuring proper guardrails for grant dollars.

The legislation was developed with input from the University of Northern Iowa, whose teacher preparation program has become a national model for success. Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Jack Reed (D-RI). 

"Teaching is a selfless calling, and we should make it easier for those who want to educate our next generation to earn their degree. Our bipartisan bill makes it easier to afford a teaching degree and puts stronger guardrails in place for grant dollars. Modeled after UNI’s success, this bill will help more teachers enter the workforce and strengthen classrooms across Iowa and the country." — Congresswoman Ashley Hinson

“North Carolina, like many states, is facing a teacher shortage. We need to ease the financial roadblocks educators face when entering the workforce. This bill increases support for students who commit to teaching in high-need subjects, while putting accountability measures in place so institutions are held responsible for how they administer these grants. I am proud to take this common sense, bipartisan step forward with Representative Hinson to ensure the TEACH Grant Program works as a path into the teaching profession, not a debt trap." — Congresswoman Alma Adams

“As the son of a schoolteacher, I learned the value of education from an early age. I want to make sure we have enough teachers to foster the next generation of leaders. Our bipartisan bill improves access to federal resources so more people can establish a meaningful career in education.” — Senator Chuck Grassley

“Good teachers help students achieve their full potential. TEACH grants encourage and incentivize promising young educators to take their talents to schools and areas that often have trouble attracting teachers. Our bipartisan bill will strengthen and streamline TEACH grants to ensure they work well for teachers and meet the needs of schools, taxpayers, and the communities they serve." — Senator Jack Reed
 
“Every student deserves a well-prepared, highly supported teacher—and that starts with meaningful investments in the educator workforce. Increasing the TEACH Grant through the TEACH Improvement Act is a critical step toward making high-quality preparation programs, including teacher residencies and apprenticeships, more accessible and affordable to aspiring educators. These investments not only strengthen the teaching profession but also help ensure that our most underserved schools can attract and retain talented educators who reflect and value the communities they serve." — Kathlene Campbell, Ph.D., CEO of NCTR
 
“The TEACH Improvement Act is an important step toward making high-quality pathways into teaching more accessible. By holding teacher training programs responsible for lowering grant-to-loan conversion rates, the legislation helps ensure aspiring educators can count on TEACH grants without the fear of falling into repayment without support from their programs. At the same time, its focus on high-quality preparation through hands-on experience, effective coursework, and ongoing mentorship will help more teachers enter the classroom ready to support student success. Together, these changes will expand access to teaching while ensuring a more effective, well-prepared educator workforce for students and communities nationwide." — Valerie Sakimura, CEO of DFI
 
“For too many prospective teachers, financial barriers stand in the way of entering and completing preparation programs — particularly during the clinical experiences that are essential to becoming effective educators and are often unpaid. AACTE is pleased to endorse the TEACH Improvement Act, which strengthens financial support for teacher candidates at this critical stage and establishes clear, reasonable requirements to help ensure participants meet the program’s service commitments. We thank Representatives Hinson and Adams for their longstanding support of the educator workforce.” — Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, Ph.D., President and CEO, AACTE

Background:

Schools across the country are struggling to find qualified teachers, with about 1 in 8 teaching positions either unfilled or staffed by someone who isn't fully certified. The TEACH Grant Program helps students afford college if they agree to teach in high-need classrooms for at least four of eight years after graduation.

The TEACH Improvement Act fixes those problems by: 

• Increasing the lifetime cap of TEACH Grants by $2,000 to better support aspiring educators.
• Holding colleges accountable when too many TEACH Grants are converted into loans by requiring improvement plans or removing eligibility from consistently poor-performing institutions.
• Protecting students by allowing partial loan conversions when part of the teaching commitment is completed instead of converting the entire grant into a loan.
• Creating a formal process for students to appeal wrongful or erroneous loan conversions.
• Maintaining the program's four-year teaching commitment while expanding eligible high-need teaching fields, including STEM, special education, and bilingual education.
• Requiring regular reporting to Congress on program outcomes to improve transparency and accountability.

Read the full text of the bill here.

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